Queen Latifah knows how to protect herself

Hollywood star Queen Latifah says she learned how to protect herself at an early age after her father bought her a gun when she was just five years old.

The 41-year-old singer-actress, who grew up in New Jersey with her older brother, was taught by their police officer father Lancelot Owens Sr how to fend for themselves, reported Contactmusic.

"He bought us these guns! I was about five. Real guns. He bought me a German Luger (pistol) and he bought my brother a.38 Snub (nosed revolver). My brother was into the cowboy thing, so that kind of worked a little better for him. It was so cool," Latifah said.

However, the Chicago star said that the two were never in any real danger because her mother Rita quickly banned the guns from the house.

"That didn't last long, my mother snuck in and threw those guns right out the door. My mother had some sense, (she said), Get those guns away from my babies," she added.